Police trial may ride on definition

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A single word may be a deciding factor in the first Orange County trial of a uniformed police officer charged with murder for an on-duty incident.

Malice – a word with a relatively simple dictionary definition – distinguishes a murder from any other killing. Over the years, judges have written thousands of opinions interpreting the legal meaning of the word.

How a jury understands malice will likely determine the fate of ex-Fullerton police officer Manuel Ramos, charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the 2011 death of Kelly Thomas. Ramos is accused of triggering the beating death of the mentally ill homeless man after, prosecutors said, he threatened Thomas with excessive force.

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